


Mother

by silvermax



Series: Three Generations [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Child Abuse, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Zuko has a meltdown, basically.... poor Zuko, it's the royal family so..... abuse tw all around
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24094528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvermax/pseuds/silvermax
Summary: "You killed Mother!"This is just a ficlet about the Fire sibs and their parents before and immediately after Ursa's banishment. It's heavily inspired by "Zuko Alone", as you can probably see.
Series: Three Generations [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772935
Comments: 1
Kudos: 52





	Mother

**Author's Note:**

> There was a part in Lolita (the 1997 movie) where she was screaming at her stepdad saying, "Murder me like you murdered my mother!", and I immediately thought of the FN royal family. So... here you have it.

Zuko was very close with his mother, and that was no secret. They spent a lot of time in the garden together, and she'd teach him what all the different plants were. He'd ask her about things he was afraid to ask anyone else. And when his father got angry with him, she was always a voice of calm reassurance.

Azula couldn't help but be a bit jealous looking at them. Her father told her that Zuko was weak, as was their mother, but it didn't stop her from wanting for something she couldn't put into words. Still, to admit such feelings was to admit weakness. No. She did not need either of them. When her mother told her she loved her, she didn't return it. She couldn't.

She and her father shared a secret, a dirty one. That first afternoon on Ember Island when she was five, he told her he was teaching her to be a woman. She wasn't to tell about it, though. "Your mother and Zuko have _their_ secrets. We can have ours." So for the next few years, these encounters were their special secret. She was old enough to tell right from wrong, and by now, she could tell it was wrong. But she couldn't possibly betray their special secret.

Both children were in school by this point. Azula had friends, Zuko did not. He always felt awkward and out of place around other boys his age. At recess, he would stand off by himself, watching everyone play. He would shrink into his clothes, just wanting not to be noticed. His father had told him he was weak, and he feared that the other boys would see this, as well. Because he kept to himself so often, his classmates simply avoided him. _They think I'm weak, too._

She saw this awkwardness as proof of his weakness. _Dad was right. He doesn't belong_ anywhere! Meanwhile, she had her own little circle already. Mai and Ty Lee, both girls of high standing. She could always count on them to do her bidding, and when they did, she felt superior. _I'm in control now._ But some nights, she'd think about what happened if they knew her secret. _They can't know. They'll never know._

Still, despite the differences between the two, they had their good days. They would chase each other around outside, or act out a fight scene from a play, and it would feel like they were younger, and living in a much simpler time. But the good days were fewer and further between now.

Everything changed, that fateful day when their grandfather requested an audience with the family. Azula had heard her father talk about how old the man was getting, and how much better of a Fire Lord _he_ would make than his brother. "What will _he_ contribute to our nation, the ways of _tea_ and _failure_?" he'd said mockingly one day.

The throne room always intimidated Zuko, and now was no exception. He sat in front of the Fire Lord with his family, nervous as ever. What would this be about?

Their father quizzed the children on their studies. Zuko, stumbling over his nerves, couldn't remember the correct answers to the questions. Azula, of course, was quick to jump in, and he wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there. _I embarrassed Dad. I embarrassed everybody._

"Would you show Grandfather the new moves you demonstrated to me?" He could feel himself burning with embarrassment once again. He knew his sister would always be better than him at firebending, just like at everything else. 

Azula beamed. Her father was proud enough of her to want to show _his_ father what she could do. So she stood up and worked her way through the sets she'd been learning. Her instructor had her doing nearly adult-level sets now, and she was more than happy to show off.

Zuko just watched her move, wondering if he'd ever be that good. When she was done and their father had praised her, he sat up, cleared his throat, and said, "I'd like to demonstrate what I've been learning."

Much to his chagrin, his skill level was significantly lower than that of his sister, but he was still determined to prove himself to his family. But his nerves got the better of him once again, and he tripped and fell multiple times. Embarrassed once again, he ran to his mother and loudly lamented his failures. She put a hand on his shoulder and, in her soft voice, told him she'd loved watching him. And for just a little while, he felt reassured.

Azula managed to glean some information that evening, when her brother was too terrified to stay and listen. Her grandfather, angered that her father would ask for his brother's birthright, wanted him to know the pain of losing his firstborn, and that meant killing Zuko. She didn't really think he would do it. _Dad wouldn't do something like_ that. _He's just saying he will to appease Grandfather._ But she had something new with which to tease her brother. So, when they were getting ready for bed, she sang, "Dad's going to kill you!"

"Liar," he snapped. _Dad wouldn't do_ that, _would he?_

"I'm telling you for your own good." She smirked. "I know, maybe you could find a nice Earth Kingdom family to adopt you!"

He felt like he was about to cry. He knew he shouldn't believe it, but his father's disdain for him over the years had become more and more apparent, to the point where he wasn't even sure anymore. "Stop it, you're lying! Dad wouldn't do that to me!"

Ursa walked in in the middle of this exchange. She didn't know what had been said prior to this, but she got a bad feeling already. "Your father wouldn't do _what_ to you? What is going on here?"

"I don't know."

Not satisfied with the girl's answer, she pulled her aside and asked what had happened. And when she found out, she was _horrified._ _I have to stop him. And fast._ Not wanting either child to be up for this, she ordered Azula to go to bed, then went to talk to her husband. As always, she feared what he might say or do in response, but she had to push through this fear. Her child came first.

Ozai had ordered her to leave the palace, not allowing her to take the children. She didn't know _how_ to feel about this. After more than ten years of being married to _this_ man, she was glad to leave. But, knowing how awful he was to her and to Zuko, it hurt her to imagine leaving her own flesh and blood with him. She wouldn't be there to help them. 

Zuko had no idea what had happened in the days that followed. But all he knew was that his mother was gone, and his father had no answers. And, piecing it together, he came to an awful, awful conclusion as to why. Finally, one day, he decided to confront him. "You did something to her."

His father turned around. "What was that?"

His stomach churned, but he had to say it. "You did something to her! That's why you won't tell me what happened!" The tears sprang to his eyes.

He scowled. "No, I did not. That is _preposterous._ "

"Yes, you did!" He was screaming at the top of his lungs now, and his words were choked up by sobbing.

"Stop this carrying on at once."

"You killed Mother!" There. Now he'd said it.

His scowl got even tighter and more severe. "Silence yourself, Zuko. I'm warning you."

"Stop lying! You killed her!" He knew it was childish and stupid and he would face his father's wrath for it. But he didn't care. "Admit it! You killed her!"

Just then, he was met with a sharp slap. Zuko held his stinging cheek and looked up at him in shock. "That is _enough_! All this carrying on will not bring her back." He pointed outward. "Now go to your room. This is shameful."

Once in his room, he cried some more. And it dawned on him now. _I really_ am _alone now._

Azula had heard the entire altercation and didn't know what to say. _It could be worse,_ she thought. _That could be me._

**Author's Note:**

> It was pretty late when I banged this out, so it's not perfect. I had some trouble characterizing Azula/putting some things into words. I might edit it later and/or turn it into something bigger, I don't know.


End file.
